Roland V-Combo VR-09

[stevie b]

I'm quite interested. I currently have a VR-760 as a top board.

This appears to have a more robust Synth engine which is very limited on the first model.

I am also interested in the song play back feature for practicing. Does anyone know how this works? Can you put a memory stick in with any wave or Mp3 file and play along? This would be a nice feature for late night headphone practice.

[HammondDave]

The organ and Leslie sim in this video sounds a lot better than my old VK7

[Craig MacDonald]

I'm quite interested. I currently have a VR-760 as a top board.

This appears to have a more robust Synth engine which is very limited on the first model.

I am also interested in the song play back feature for practicing. Does anyone know how this works? Can you put a memory stick in with any wave or Mp3 file and play along? This would be a nice feature for late night headphone practice.

Stevie, yes if it works like most other USB ports do it's designed to allow you to play along with wave and mp3 files, so there will likely be able to browse what's on the USB stick select and play any files. It will likely be very simple to use. (this is speculation of course this is generally pretty easy on keyboards with this feature)

[AnotherScott]

They show the USB backing track playback at about 2:45 in that video, too.

 

But even if you want to see everything they demo in that video, do yourself a favor, and skip the useless and annoying first 90 seconds.

[stevie b]

Thanks,

 

I watched the video but obviously missed that.

The Best thing about the VR-760; is the keybed, nice drawbars, form factor and quality construction. It gives me an adequate organ and limited Synth even with SRX Cards. I don't even bother with the pianos.

Regarding the VR-09

I believe the lighter weight, synth, usb playback, editor features, and price make this a worthy "upgrade".

I hope not to be dissapointed by the keybed, drawbars and somewhat limited chorus/ perussion controls (without Ipad).

Can't wait to check one out.

 

 

 

[Theo Verelst]

I'd like it better if Roland would allow for deeper synths, like they used to make, to sound that way too in the newer products. I mean drums and various instruments are OK, but honestly, I heard better live demos of their products in the 80s and 90s than in the now, which is a shame. Nice board.

 

It's uncool to talk about wannabe Roland boys as struggling with "rich and moderate talent" syndromes, so I won't. Great musicians probably will tend to learning to play on a good Yamaha, and the boys and girls who do like music and some hipness and to gig a bit shouldn't look bad on a decent, powerful Roland, those things can stay the same, isn't it?

TV

[Ekewaka]

Well, I don't ask too much for $999, I'm already overwhelmed by the sonic soundscapes of VR-09. If I need more synthesis, there are more applicable hardware of laptops to be used.

 

As for the eternal 'right brand when you play' -- seeing enough musicians with vintage gear not making them great is a good way to look at this issue. At some point someone like Herbie Hancock could take any keyboard and make magic.

[Leh173]

I'm intereted in this board as an addition to my Fantom G or a replacement for some situations. I think the build quality will be OK, not Fantom level but Roland lower stuff is usually OK. I bet the keybed is Juno Gi style, which won't excite anyone but will be servciable, though I guess we'll have to see when it comes out. I wonder if Roland get frustrated putting out really high end boards with fantastic build quality that no one buys and then getting slammed when they bring out cheaper plastic alternatives. Good build quality costs money. I learnt this when I tried to go all software and MIDI controller. After that little experience I have a lot more respect for gear with decent build quality and made peace with the high cost.

[burningbusch]

I'm intereted in this board as an addition to my Fantom G or a replacement for some situations. I think the build quality will be OK, not Fantom level but Roland lower stuff is usually OK. I bet the keybed is Juno Gi style, which won't excite anyone but will be servciable, though I guess we'll have to see when it comes out. I wonder if Roland get frustrated putting out really high end boards with fantastic build quality that no one buys and then getting slammed when they bring out cheaper plastic alternatives. Good build quality costs money. I learnt this when I tried to go all software and MIDI controller. After that little experience I have a lot more respect for gear with decent build quality and made peace with the high cost.

 

At NAMM I compared the VR09 and JunoDi actions. They felt identical to the touch and the underside of the keys felt the same. The Roland rep said they were the same. The are unweighted. For organ and synth they should be OK, but hardly inspiring. I would not want to play APs/EPs on it. Also, I didn't find the drawbars to have the silky smoothness of previous VR drawbars. I think I'd put them somewhere between a drawbar and a slider.

 

Roland is damned if the do and damned if they don't regarding build quality or lack there of.

 

Busch.

[richwhite9]

Roland is damned if the do and damned if they don't regarding build quality or lack there of.

 

Busch.

 

 

Like it or not I think lithium ion batteries and wireless protocols are coming to this class of board so it fits the cable free mobile generation theme. The Nady devolution all over again. Guitar players look better without amps and wearing antenna anyway

[To B3]

New video showing some other sounds and possibilities:

 

[video:youtube]

[Craig MacDonald]

This is about what I expected.. these sounds are all quite useable. it's a pretty capable keyboard.. not sure how tweakable they all are..

[Tonysounds]

I hope not to be dissapointed by the keybed, drawbars and somewhat limited chorus/ perussion controls (without Ipad).

 

Brace yourself.

[allan_evett]

I hope not to be dissapointed by the keybed, drawbars and somewhat limited chorus/ perussion controls (without Ipad).

 

Brace yourself.

 

Concur. While the VR-09 will certainly fill a niche for many, and does offers some cool and useful features, a current VR-760 owner could find this one a letdown.

 

stevie b, it will likely depend on whether or not the update and convenience trade-offs end up being worth it for you. I owned a VR-760, '03 - '05; it had the Ultimate Keys board installed. Also have spent some solid 'floor time' with the latest Junos. If the weight / space convenience of the VR-09 was a necessity, it would be an attractive option to me. But for live playing the VR-09 does not seem to be an upgrade from a VR-760. The VR-760, especially with an SRV board, is a powerful tool. I sold mine after using a different brand's 'similar' keyboard on a session; in further use that instrument turned out to be a letdown, compared to the VR-760. What followed was years of 2nd tier 'horse trading' (I'm a veteran at that) until landing with a Nord Stage 2 76. For a current VR-760 owner, a true upgrade - with additional features and strengths - would be a Kurzweil PC3 K7 (alternately, a used PC3) or a Stage 2 76 (the Stage 2 Compact, with 73 waterfall keys, is also an option). But unless things like alternate outputs, importing 3rd party samples / sounds, and a more powerful synth engine are now important features for you, why not hang onto the VR-760 ? If I'd kept mine straight through until 2012, then upgraded to the Stage 2, it would've saved a lot of time and money.

[stevie b]

I agree the Stage 2 is the top contender for my purposes. My main reason for not pulling the trigger is cost. Second is my indecision regarding the compact with the right keys but no low E , verses the 76 with weighted keys for organ.

 

My current (not so current) rig is a PC2X with the VR-760 on top.

In addition to limited synth tweakability, I can't get some common FX from either board, not even from the SRX cards. These include; wind, rain, heartbeat, and clock, to name a few. Yes they are cheesy, but they work on certain songs.

A couple examples are Rain/Storm on Riders on the Storm and Heartbeat/ Helicopter/ Alarm Clock on Pink Floyds - Breath/ Time.

In addition, I have not purchased a Ventilator.

 

So, I noticed the VR-09 has the GM2 sounds, rumor of a better Leslie, and more knobs. Interesting.

 

I did have the FX on my Korg X2. Changing to the VR-760 I gained a organ clone which was worth it. I tried adding a sonic cell module but it was not worth the hassle and sold it. I regretfully resorted to some prerecorded short wav tracks which I made from sounds on the old Korg.

I currently use a small DR-07 recorder for these since it can be set to stop at the end of the file and will cue up the next.

I hate using a recorded track to compensate. It's just another item to manage and lacks spontaneity.

 

So long story short, Im cheap and looking for an inexpensive fix. Probably should go down to the corner. Oooh Im already here!

 

 

[Ekewaka]

The more I hear of VR-09, the more I think it's perfect for those 'crammed space' gigs.

[David Loving]

As for the eternal 'right brand when you play' -- seeing enough musicians with vintage gear not making them great is a good way to look at this issue. At some point someone like Herbie Hancock could take any keyboard and make magic.

 

It's a good idea to pay more attention to your "play" than the brand.

[Jazzmammal]

I've ranted until I'm blue in the face about this.

 

The worst, to me, are synth-makers who assume everyone is making disposable dance grooves for teen clothing stores in the mall, or HGTV shows. Every demo is THOOMP THOOMP THOOMP THOOMP BWAAAAAAHM BWAAAAAAHM d-d-DEEEE d-d-DEEEE d-d-DEEEE d-d-DEEEE, and goes on for 3 minutes without any variation in sound.

 

It really pains me to say it Jason but 'everyone' is doing that crap. It's called dubstep. I've been fascinated with Abelton Live and they just released Live 9 or are about to. There's a video about it and first thing they mentioned is Abelton has over 1.7 million users with workshops all over the place including some top level music schools. The whole introductory video about Live 9 is close to an hour of nothing but dubstep warbly bass electronic crap. Want to know where all the gigs have gone? It's to DJ's doing all of this live with Abelton. Once you get past the noise, these guys are pretty creative.

 

The future is now and it sucks for a lot of us.

 

Bob

[Leh173]

Just watched the video and it sounds very Roland. I think the ROMpler sounds (the pianos/eps/clavs/strings) all sound similar the Fantom G sounds. Though the piano might be better. The synths sounds great to me. Fuller than the ones on the G, and the G's are good. I really want to get confirmation from Roland that this thing has the SN VA in it.It certainly looks and sounds that way.

[Tonysounds]

I know that Standard GM2 list would be too big to print here, but does anyone know what sounds are included in that? are there anything like real brass, or mellotronish/samplerish strings and choirs. This is something my Nord Stage Classic Lacks, and something like that would make the vr-09 a very appealing alternative.

 

I can't remember....can you not load samples into a "Classic" Stage?

[Leh173]

unless they've popped it in the wavetable somewhere those sounds probably won't be there. they're not in the Fantom G. I had to load in my own tron samples. The SRX07 for the older Rolands had it. Even the ancient vintage synth card has them but Roland chose not to put em in the G. Thanks guys...

[allan_evett]

I agree the Stage 2 is the top contender for my purposes. My main reason for not pulling the trigger is cost. Second is my indecision regarding the compact with the right keys but no low E , verses the 76 with weighted keys for organ.

 

My current (not so current) rig is a PC2X with the VR-760 on top.

In addition to limited synth tweakability, I can't get some common FX from either board, not even from the SRX cards. These include; wind, rain, heartbeat, and clock, to name a few. Yes they are cheesy, but they work on certain songs.

A couple examples are Rain/Storm on Riders on the Storm and Heartbeat/ Helicopter/ Alarm Clock on Pink Floyds - Breath/ Time.

In addition, I have not purchased a Ventilator.

 

So, I noticed the VR-09 has the GM2 sounds, rumor of a better Leslie, and more knobs. Interesting.

 

I did have the FX on my Korg X2. Changing to the VR-760 I gained a organ clone which was worth it. I tried adding a sonic cell module but it was not worth the hassle and sold it. I regretfully resorted to some prerecorded short wav tracks which I made from sounds on the old Korg.

I currently use a small DR-07 recorder for these since it can be set to stop at the end of the file and will cue up the next.

I hate using a recorded track to compensate. It's just another item to manage and lacks spontaneity.

 

So long story short, Im cheap and looking for an inexpensive fix. Probably should go down to the corner. Oooh Im already here!

 

 

Don't blame you for hating having to use the recorded tracks;the lack of spontaneity is aggravating.

 

So you need a wider palette of tones that includes GM2. Certainly easier to try and get that within your two stage keyboards, vs. dealing with a module. My concern was that, like me, you might regret selling the VR-760. If playing organ on a non-waterfall keybed works ok for you, and you don't need the 76 keys up top, then perhaps the VR-09 would be a solid choice, under the circumstances. BTW, I'm trying to recall if any of the Roland SRX expansion boards had a GM2 soundset included. You might want to check the contents list for those boards; try checking on Roland's site (could be under Legacy Products), or just Google the info. That could be another solution, and one that works within your VR-760.

Otherwise the VR-09 could work out to be your best choice.

[AnotherScott]

I can't remember....can you not load samples into a "Classic" Stage?

Correct. No sample loading in Classic or EX. That's the biggest change that came with the 2.

[stevie b]

BTW, I'm trying to recall if any of the Roland SRX expansion boards had a GM2 soundset included. You might want to check the contents list for those boards;

 

I really wish there was a SRX with GM2, but I haven't found one.

 

List includes:

SRX banks (12 titles):

SRX-01 Dynamic Drum Kits

SRX-02 Concert Piano

SRX-03 Studio SRX

SRX-04 Symphonique Strings

SRX-05 Supreme Dance

SRX-06 Complete Orchestra

SRX-07 Ultimate Keys

SRX-08 Platinum Trax

SRX-09 World Collection

SRX-10 Big Brass Ensemble

SRX-11 Complete Piano

SRX-12 Classic EPs Expansion

 

I have the SRX-07 and SRX-09 installed. I don't know of a GM2 soundset, but would like to be proven wrong.

[Leh173]

I doubt they will have one. The GM sets are usually onboard the synth factory. The Fantom G has a GM set as one of it's preset banks. I think most Rolands that fit SRX boards have one as well. My JV-1080 does (though it fits SRJV boards)

[Pete Nalda]

Let the bitching begin. The fuckin keyboard just came out and people are complaining.

LOL. So Roland does have something in common with Hammond...

 

Ok, here's where Roland and Hammond *Really* do have something in common. Probably a little known fact, that the Hammond Branded X series of combo Organs, which were probably the first Hammond "Clones" were built by AceTone, who in time, would become Roland.

[B3Nut]

Yes, the roots of Roland lie partly in Hammond's Japanese ventures. Ikutaro Kakehashi is an organ entusiast, and had a close relationship with Nihon-Hammond (Hammond's first Japanese venture) early on.

 

TP

[Pete Nalda]

I know that Standard GM2 list would be too big to print here, but does anyone know what sounds are included in that? are there anything like real brass, or mellotronish/samplerish strings and choirs. This is something my Nord Stage Classic Lacks, and something like that would make the vr-09 a very appealing alternative.

 

I can't remember....can you not load samples into a "Classic" Stage?

No. The only "Samples" that can be loaded are Piano Samples from the Nord Piano Library, and they are only piano sounds.You can load other types of Samples into the synth section of the Nord Stage 2, but, that's another $3600, and while the VR-09 Wont load samples either, it does come with the GM2 soundest, which has more natural sounding string/brass/choir sounds.

[Ekewaka]

BTW did some internet searching to see what various online stores tell about VR-09 availability and some even claimed to have units ready mid-February (which I doubt) but these might be available sooner than later.

[Craig MacDonald]

When I inquired with my local music store here in Canada I was first told February but then received an update that it would likely be April.